


For I Shall Learn From Flower And Leaf

by KuribohIChooseYou



Series: Pridecember 2020 [4]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Language of Flowers, M/M, Opening Up Is Hard, Prideshipping, Self-Doubt, Slice of Life, Yu-Gi-Oh! Pridecember, Yu-Gi-Oh! Pridecember 2020, in place of using actual words to communicate, like right after, post-dsod
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:20:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27873706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuribohIChooseYou/pseuds/KuribohIChooseYou
Summary: Atem has never known how to sit around and do nothing, and takes to gardening to fill his hands and confront the doubts swirling in his head.#4 - Flower, #15 - Plant
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Series: Pridecember 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035153
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14





	For I Shall Learn From Flower And Leaf

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for the love you've shown this series so far! ♥ Enjoy~!

“I didn’t realize they made Pharaohs cultivate their own gardens in Egypt.”

“Ah, no,” Atem laughed through the words. “Quite the opposite; they couldn’t keep me out of the gardens though they tried. I used to ask the staff in charge of them to teach me, so I could learn to care for the plants myself.”

“So they just let you tend to your own garden?” Kaiba crossed his arms, openly confused. Atem continued pulling weeds out from under one of the purple azalea shrubs he had planted not long after his return to this dimension.

“ _Let_ is a strong word. _Gave up_ on trying to convince me to leave the work for the workers sounds a bit better. I spent so, _so_ much time in those gardens; they were the most beautiful place in all of the capitol, and quite easy to lose yourself in when one needed a distraction. And when exploring the gardens did not help to take my mind off whatever was troubling me, tending to the gardens did.”

Tension rolled through Kaiba’s shoulders but he ignored it and forced out his question. “Did you garden in the afterlife, too, then?”

Atem blinked at him, and said almost ruefully, “There are many things Aaru is, Kaiba, but it is not home, and it never could be. The plants there never needed tending - they never changed. Even the lotus in the sacred ponds never sank to the bottom to rise up the next day.” Atem shrugged. “Much like those of us that inhabited it.”

Kaiba’s eyebrows drew together, letting that thought sink in. Atem returned to weeding. It was moments later when he asked, “Then, is there something troubling you now, that you feel the need to occupy your mind?”

Atem’s hand paused from pulling a large dandelion out from its roots, half of the white mangled tendrils with dirt clinging to them already visible. Kaiba noticed the other’s eyes widen, but they stared at the little yellow flower in his hand as if not really seeing it. The question had seemed to strike him like a loosed arrow hitting an unsuspecting target, unexpected and unprepared for.

“I,” Atem turned his tongue over in his mouth, trying to find the words, “I just want to _feel_ like I’m doing something. I’ve never been one to be idle, and it’s-“ Atem turned his head to look at Kaiba, the expression on his face almost pained as he pushed the words out, “I don’t want you to feel like you brought me back here for _nothing_.”

Kaiba knew his face was showing just how taken aback he was by the words, the arrow shot right back at him. Catch it, or deflect it; two options and neither one particularly easy. A moment later, he sank to his knees besides Atem, reaching for one of the darker pink shrubs to pluck some of the yellowed flowers off to make room for new ones. He spoke as he worked. “I didn’t,” Kaiba began but cursed softly as one of the healthy flowers dislodged and fell to the soil, “I didn’t _go_ there for you for _nothing_.” Atem hadn’t moved a muscle, eyes trained on Kaiba’s face as he fastidiously avoided making eye contact. “It didn’t feel _right_ -” Kaiba gathered the dead flowers in one hand and took a deep breath, “Not to have you here.”

Atem’s voice was smaller than it should have been when it asked, “Do you think we can do this?”

Kaiba met his eyes with effort, and searched the other’s garnet gaze for any misplaced doubt, but found none. His tone carried all the seriousness the impromptu conversation was demanding. “Yes, I do. I wouldn’t have tried so hard to get to you if I didn’t.” Atem relaxed and a small smile graced his face. Kaiba’s heart finally stopped its clutched racing and he let out the breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He smirked lightly before turning back to deadhead any faded blooms from another bush. “I sure as hell didn’t bring you back to be my gardener.”

Atem laughed, then, and the sound almost caused Kaiba to sigh in relief. He wanted this moment to be over with; he wasn’t used to digging this far deep inside of himself.

“No, I suppose not.” Atem’s smile brightened as he wiped the earth from his hands on his jeans. “But I’ve never been one to shy from getting my own hands dirty, though it tended to drive Mahaad up the wall.” 

Kaiba opened his mouth to say something snarky back, but held it for a moment before deciding to go a different route. Atem noticed and looked to him in anticipation. “It’s… nice, you know. That you did this. I hadn’t ever put much thought in to…” Kaiba tasted a word on his tongue, decided he didn’t like it, and chose differently, “ _Aesthetics_ , and the change in scenery is nice. We needed it.” What he thought, and couldn't say: _It looks a little less like Gozaburo still lives here_.

The blush that dusted across Atem’s cheeks and nose as he grinned back at Kaiba caused something - he wasn’t sure what but he was sure it was _something_ \- deep down to crack open and Kaiba cleared his throat to cover it up. He held his own palms face up and said, “We should go clean up.”

Atem nodded, still smiling sweetly, and followed him back into the mansion.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a line from _Alchemy_ by Sara Teasdale.
> 
> Some quick notes on flower language if you're interested: 
> 
> Azaleas, in Japanese and Chinese culture, are associated with homesickness and with the fragility of a new love that can still fail to blossom, the latter being attributed from the flower's own fragility and how easy it is for the flowers to fall off. Purple azaleas symbolize nobility and royalty; dark pink symbolizes love and passion, or caring deeply for someone.   
> Egyptian Lotus (Blue Water Lily) symbolized (among other things) rebirth after death.  
> Dandelions, in this work, are being used to symbolize overcoming hardship and perseverance.
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kuriboh-i-choose-you) ♥


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